Thanks to the pending retirement of Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., New Mexico will have an open Senate seat come fall 2012. Although the primary election has yet to happen, the seat looks likely to be filled by a representative from New Mexico’s 1st district, either the current or the former. Rep. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and former Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., are both candidates to replace Bingaman and will likely receive the nomination of their respective parties. The last FEC quarterly reports from their campaigns show comparably sized accounts and both have been busy with fundraisers in recent weeks, some of which have been hosted by influential party operatives.

On the night of July 6, Wilson will join at least 25 hosts at Capitol Hill Tower for a Wine Tasting Reception. Twelve of those hosts are registered lobbyists, including Joe Moser, a former legislative assistant and legislative director to Wilson from her days in the House. Also listed on the invitation are Loren Monroe and George Ramonas, both of whom were once staffers to former New Mexico senator Pete Domenici. The wine tasting is scheduled to be a small dollar event with listed contributions from $100 to $500.

A few weeks earlier on June 16, Wilson scheduled a reception at the Army Navy Golf Club. The event was hosted by a group of retired air force generals including former director of the NSA and CIA Michael Hayden, as well as former Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne. Wilson herself is a graduate of the Air Force Academy. The suggested contribution for the event was $500 for an individual and $1,000 for a PAC.

While Rep. Heinrich may not have the military connections of his likely opponent, he has done some fundraising with otherwise well-connected lobbyists. On May 24, Heinrich was the beneficiary of an evening reception at the rooftop at 1101 Pennsylvania Ave NW. Ten lobbyists were scheduled to host the event, including former staffers of Sens. Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Herb Kohl, D-Wis, as well as former Sen. Tom Daschle and Rep. Rahm Emmanuel among others. The price to attend the reception was a low $250 for an individual and $500 for a PAC.

Amidst talk that redistricting may diminish their numbers in Congress, the Republican Illinois congressional delegation will gather for a fundraiser tomorrow night. All eleven Illinois GOP House members and the state’s GOP Senator, Mark Kirk, will hold a communal fundraiser for their state party at the home of Bernie Robinson, a lobbyist for the Livingston Group.

Last month, the Democrat-controlled state legislature of Illinois released a redistricting map that could put as many as six Republicans in danger of losing their seats come next election. The map, which still awaits final approval from the governor, redraws several Republican-held districts to include areas that tend to vote heavily Democratic. A lawsuit may be in the works to challenge the bill when it becomes law, but until that happens the Illinois GOP is turning to fundraising to bolster their electoral chances.

Robinson, who’s hosting the fundraiser, has an Illinois connection. According to his profile page on the Livingston Group’s website, Robinson was the lead lobbyist for the state of Illinois from 1999 to 2001. Robinson was also once chief of staff to Democratic Congressman Jim McGovern, D-Mass.

All donations at the event will be made to the Illinois Republican Party, not to the members of Congress themselves, who are listed as special guests “not asking for funds.”

Listed contributions start at $50 for a young professional and top out at $2,000 for a PAC Host.

In the public square, taking PAC money can be a political liability – opponents can criticize candidates for cuddling up to big business and special interests rather than individual voters.

But in the exclusive sphere of $1,000-per-head fundraisers, could it be that the more PAC donors a candidate gets, the more likely that other PACs — and big spenders — will contribute?

In the hotly contested tossup in Michigan 7th district, which has attracted more outside money than any other House race, former GOP Rep. Tim Walberg apparently believes so.

A long list of “PACs Suppporting Tim Walberg” is on the invitation to his noon fundraiser in Detroit today – asking for $1,000 from PACs — just a week before the election. In a year when many candidates across the country are painting their opponents as Washington insiders tied special interests, it’s unusual to see one touting his own connection to PACs.

The list includes oil companies Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips, many big banks – a national bugaboo since the bank bailout — and energy and manufacturing conglomerate Koch Industries, whose billionaire owners, Charles and David Koch, are behind exclusive twice-a-year strategy sessions with top Republican financiers.

It is in fact his opponent – Rep. Mark Schauer, D-Mich. — who has attracted more than three times more PAC donations (over $1 million) than Walberg, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

The Democrat has out-fundraised his opponent overall, leaving him with about $850,000 to spend in the final stretch of the campaign, more than double Walberg’s bounty, according to CRP data from mid-October.

One of Walberg’s biggest benefactors, who also headlines today’s invitation, is Michigan-connected lobbyist Mark Valente, president of the DC firm Valente and Associates. The firm’s executives have sent nearly $10,000 to the campaign, and Valente is listed as a host on invitations to three Walberg fundraisers in the past year, according to Party Time records.

Valente, whose clients include Abercrombie and Fitch and the parent company of the North American Coal Corporation, was a city councilman in the Detroit suburbs in the 1980s. He is a former Reagan official and director of coalition development at the Republican National Committee, according to his bio.

The finance chair of the Michigan Republican Party, Robert Schostak, is also listed on today’s fundraiser. The state party has spent nearly $500,000 supporting Walberg and opposing Schauer in the race, according to Sunlight’s outside spending tracker.

For at least the third time in a month, the GOP Senate candidate from New Hampshire is visiting D.C. to fundraise.

Looking to pad her already substantial cash lead, state attorney general Kelly Ayotte has booked a fundraising breakfast tomorrow morning at the Caucus Room, a downtown restaurant, which asks donors for between $500 and $2,000, according to an e-mail invitation from fundraising consultants.

In a separate email promoting the visit, consultant Jon Graham wrote that she is “going to be in DC one more time before the election” and included polls showing Ayotte ahead of Rep. Paul Hodes, D-N.H., by at least five percentage points.

A call to Ayotte’s campaign to confirm that the fundraiser is taking place was not returned at the time of posting.

In the past month, Ayotte made at least two other visits to D.C., according to Party Time records. She held five events on Sept. 27 and 28 and another three on Oct. 5.

Both trips included fundraisers at the Capitol Hill townhouse of lobbyist Rick Murphy, who welcomed other Senate outsider and GOP candidates this fall, including Alaska’s Joe Miller and Indiana’s Dan Coats.

Hodes, who recently released this TV ad, came to D.C. in September, holding a fundraiser at the Capitol Hill townhouse of lobbying group Cornerstone Government Affairs, according to Party Time records.

Ayotte already has a $1.1 million war chest, compared to about $550,000 for Hodes, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Outside spending has largely been on the side of Ayotte. Of the nearly $4.4 million reported, over half (here and here) comes from electioneering communications by the Chamber of Commerce, which has endorsed Ayotte and bought an ad criticizing Hodes. Another $900,000 has been spent by outside groups opposing Hodes, according Sunlight’s Follow the Unlimited Money tracker. Neither the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee nor the Republican National Senatorial Committee have made ad buys in the race.

Though the influx of invitations has slowed since the September rush, they keep on coming, including plenty for fundraisers in the nation’s capital. Here is this week’s roundup:

Christie for Dent, Biden for Callahan. On Wednesday, two days after Joe Biden stumps for Lehigh, Pa. mayor John Callahan, N.J. governor Chris Christie is headlining an event for Callahan’s rival, Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa., who is ahead in the polls. Christie will deliver a lecture, part of Dent’s “American Leaders Lecture Series,” which featured a visit from Rudy Guiliani earlier this year. The full slate of events — including a roundtable discussion, a photo with the governor and cocktails — costs $5,000 per couple and $2,500 per PAC, according to the invitation. Dent has planned eight fundraisers since August, according to Party Time’s database.

On Tuesday, Christie is taking part in another “photo op” for a Keystone State Republican, Mike Fitzpatrick. The former Congressman is favored in his race with incumbent Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Pa., despite being out-fundraised, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Still fundraising in D.C. Illinois GOP challenger Bobby Schilling dines at the Capitol Hill Club, Rhode Island hopeful John Loughlin holds court at the UPS Townhouse, and Charles Djou, R-Hawaii, woos donors at the National Republican Congressional Committee, according to Party Time invitations.

Schilling faced poor prospects in June, when his race was not considered competitive by the Cook Political Report. Now in a tossup with Phil Hare, D-Ill., Schilling out-raised him in the third quarter, and has more cash on hand. Nearly $2 million in outside money has flooded the race on both sides, according to Sunlight’s Follow the Unlimited Money tool.

Both Djou and Loughlin lost the third quarter money battle to their opponents, Democrats Coleen Hanabusa and David Cicilline. The National Journal has handy charts for third quarter fundraising in open-seat, freshmen and veterans to watch contests.

We, the Pizza. On Wednesday, Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., whose district is a stone’s throw from D.C., invites donors to We, the Pizza – a popular spot for lawmakers this fall. Connolly’s challenger, Keith Fimian, blew him away in the third quarter, raising over $1 million.

Mayor Mike. Tonight NYC chief Mike Bloomberg is opening up his home to Long Island conservative Peter King, R-N.Y., who is asking donors for between $1,000 and $2,500 to attend.

Happy Birthday, Darrell Issa! The man who would head the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform if Republicans take the House is celebrating his 57th birthday with donors at Carmine’s in downtown Washington Wednesday, according to this invitation.

After slighting GOP leaders earlier this week, Tea Party-backed Sharron Angle is scheduled to raise cash at a Washington fundraiser today with the help of long list of well-connected GOP establishment lobbyists, many of whom were also big-time fundraisers for John McCain. Angle faces Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., in November.

Many of the lobbyists listed on Angle’s invitation are recurring fundraiser hosts who have signed on to events for many of the same candidates — often GOP Senate hopefuls — according to Party Time’s database.

This year, one such host — Dirk Van Dongen, an influential lobbyist for the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) who bundled over $500,000 for McCain’s presidential bid — and his colleague Jade West, helped fundraise for California and Pennsylvania Senate contenders Carly Fiorina and Pat Toomey.

The duo also signed on to inside-the-beltway fundraisers for Jane Norton, who lost the party nomination in Colorado to Tea Party-powered Ken Buck, and Bill Binnie, who lost the New Hampshire primary to Sarah Palin-endorsed Kelly Ayotte. NAW also has a PAC, which gives all of its donations to Republicans and is run by West, according to her web bio. Fiorina, Toomey and Norton received donations from the PAC this election cycle, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics.

Kirsten Chadwick, lobbyist for Fierce, Isakowitz & Blalock, has hosted parties for Toomey and Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del., the GOP pick that lost the nomination to Tea Party-supported Christine O’Donnell. Chadwick, a lobbyist for 35 companies, according to CRP, is the former finance director of Young Professionals for McCain. Her colleague Kirk Blalock was a top McCain bundler and is also a frequent party host for GOP Senate hopefuls. Chadwick and Blalock were White House special assistants in President George W. Bush’s first term.

Missy Edwards, a past host at Fiorina and Norton fundraisers who runs her own lobbying outfit, was a major McCain fundraiser herself, according to The Hill, and used to be the director of development and finance at the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC).

Smitty Davis, of Akin Gump, is a former NRSC special counsel and general counsel to the Women’s Senate Republican Victory Committee, according to his bio. He has been a host at fundraisers for Fiorina and Norton as well as Sens. David Vitter, R-La., and Richard Burr, R-N.C., both seeking re-election.

Cesar Conda, of Navigators Global, was a special assistant to Vice President Dick Cheney and an economic advisor to Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign, according to his bio. He has been a host to fundraisers for Fiorina, Norton, and Toomey, as well as Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., who is running for the Senate.

The ask at Angle’s fundraising lunch, to be held at the NRSC and hosted by “GOP Women for Angle” runs from $500 to $5,000.

Reid has amassed a nearly $20 million war chest to Angle’s about $3.5 million, according to CRP. Both have raised about three quarters of their funds from out-of-state sources.

Outside groups have spent a lot on the race as well — more than all but three other races in the country, according to Sunlight’s Follow the Unlimited Money tool. The biggest spending has gone to independent expenditures supporting Angle and opposing Reid.

Congress may be out of session, but the flow of inside-the-beltway money continues.

Thus far we have counted 470 invitations to fundraisers from Sept. 1 through the end of this week, according to invitations received by Party Time, the great majority of them in Washington, D.C. There are at least three dozen parties scheduled this week; to see all upcoming events, click here.

The spotlight this week is on two veteran West Coast senators in danger of losing their seats:

On Thursday, Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., gets an assist from House Transportation Committee Chair Jim Oberstar, D-Minn. Donations go to a joint fundraising committee called Boxer/Oberstar 2010, one of a few such committees Boxer has set up, according to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Proceeds of these committees must go to at least two political committees or organizations. Alcalde & Fey lobbyist Paul Schlesinger, one of the hosts of the event, is a transportation and infrastructure specialist who lobbies for a slew of California cities.

On Wednesday, Patty Murray, D-Wash., whose race with Republican Dino Rossi is a toss-up, according to the Cook Political Report, is being honored at the Embassy Row home of longtime Democratic donor Esther Coopersmith, a former U.S. representative to the United Nations under President Carter who, according to The Hill, has met every president since Harry Truman. The ask runs between $250 and $2,500.

Here are highlights from the lineup for the rest of the week:

*Today: Former congressman Mike Fitzpatrick, running for his seat back against young Democratic leader Patrick Murphy, D-Pa., in the Philadelphia suburbs, planned a roundtable discussion and lunch fundraiser in New York City, headlined by Financial Services ranking member Spencer Bachus, R-Ala. Recent polling shows Fitzpatrick with a double-digit lead over Murphy, who helps run the DCCC’s Red-to-Blue program.

*Today: Another challenger, Ben Quayle, gunning to represent Arizona’s third district, has planned to milk DC donors at Johnny’s Half Shell. Quayle narrowly got by a packed primary field but the seat is likely his, according to the Cook Political Report. He faces John Hulburd, who he has significantly out-raised, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

*Wednesday: Rep. Chris Carney, D-Pa., in potential trouble against Tom Marino despite raising much more money than him, tries to keep the green coming, asking PACs to contribute as much as $5,000 for lunch at Johnny’s Half Shell.

*Thursday:  Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, has signed on to $500-per-PAC Capitol Hill fundraiser in support of Jason Levesque, a Maine Republican and marketing company owner with a chance to unseat four-term incumbent Mike Michaud, D-Maine.

Karl Rove, the reported master-mind behind the GOP outside-spending onslaught this election, is appearing at a “private roundtable” today to benefit Ohio House candidate James Renacci.

The ask is $3,000-per-person, $6,000-per-couple for the gathering at the home of Donald and Laurie DeVille, in Canton, Ohio. Donald Deville  is president of DeVille Apartments and Builders, which specializes in lower-end rentals in the Canton area. The proceeds are to go to a special joint committee for Renacci and the Ohio state Republican party.

There is also a luncheon and a VIP reception the same day at the Brookside Country Club.

Not much information is publicly available about Deville, who contributed to the McCain campaign in 2008, as well as Kirk Schuring, who ran and lost that same year in the same district, Ohio’s sixteenth. He was not available for immediate comment.

The race, which is rated as a “tossup” by Cook Political report, has already drawn a large amount of independent expenditures. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and unions have paid out $1.3 million opposing Renacci, while The 60-Plus Association and AUL Action NFP, a pro-life organization, have spent $638,000 against Renacci’s opponent, John Boccieri.

Earlier this week, Sarah Palin included the race on her new “Take Back the 20” website.

This is the first invitation Party Time has acquired this year that lists Rove as a draw. The database includes three other fundraisers he hosted in 2008 and 2006.

Ninety congressional fundraisers are planned over the next two weeks, including 34 for candidates running in close races, according to the Party Time database. The great majority of these events are in Washington, D.C. as candidates fundraise furiously during the last few days of this session. Party Time has logged 364 planned fundraisers since the start of September, and continues to add new fundraising invitations to the database as we receive them. Click here to see them all. To see a list of upcoming parties for candidates in close races, see below.

Some notable examples include:

• Tomorrow Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., headlines this reception for David Schweikert, running in a closely contested race for Arizona’s fifth district.  Schweikert is one of the National Republican Campaign Committee’s (NRCC) “young guns,” selected for special help with fundraising and support, who also has the support of the Arizona Tea Party. His Democratic opponent, Rep. Harry Mitchell, will be raising cash at this reception on Sept. 30.
• Tomorrow Republican and Tea Party candidate Ken Buck, who is challenging Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., fundraises at this reception at the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee (NRSC). Senate  Minority Leader Mitch McConnell R-Ky., and NRSC Chairman John Cornyn, R-Texas, are among the GOP Senate heavyweights headlining the event. The race has drawn some of the largest independent expenditures to date.
• Several senators who are not up for re-election this year have planned fundraisers for their leadership PACs, likely to raise cash to spread around to other candidates who are facing tight races. Today Senate Majority Whip Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., raises cash at this dinner for his Senate Majority Fund. Hosts include lobbyists representing the American Bankers Association, US Oncology, and Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, as well as the National Mining Association PAC.
• Tomorrow, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., is hosting this reception benefiting her America’s Leadership PAC at the offices of lobbying firm Cornerstone Government Affairs. Meanwhile, over at Charlie Palmer Steak, Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., is hosting a dinner for his LEG PAC. Other senators with leadership PAC fundraisers on tap include Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., with this planned reception on October 6. Already passed is this breakfast on September 15 for KPAC, run by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas.

Click here to download a spreadsheet of upcoming fundraisers for candidates in competitive races, based on Cook Report ratings.

September fundraising mayhem continues, with at least 37 congressional fundraising parties  planned today, all in Washington, DC. (To see a list of today’s planned parties, click here.) Many of these are events benefit candidates in tough races:

• Koch Industries’ PAC is one of the hosts for this GOP star-studded reception for Carly Fiorina, running against Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., at the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee (NRSC). Others on the long list include GOP powerhouse lobbying couple Charlie and Judy Black, Missy Edwards, and Kirk Blalock. Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Sen. Minority Whip John Kyl, R-Ariz., and NRSC Chairman John Cornyn, R-Texas are also headlining the event.
• Rep. Betsy Markey, D-Colo., defending her seat in Colorado’s fourth district, benefits from this breakfast at the D.C. law offices of Polsinelli Shughart PC hosted by a trio of the firm’s lobbyists: Jim Davidson, Anita Estell, and Martin Frost. Also today, House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio and National Republican Campaign Committee (NRCC) Chairman Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, headline this reception for her opponent, Cory Gardner.
• Sessions is also appearing at this fundraiser for Richard Hannah, running in New York’s 24th district against incumbent Michael Acuri, D-N.Y.
• Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., facing a tough race himself in Colorado’s third district, is the lead host on this breakfast for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ BOLD PAC.

Click here to download Monday’s spreadsheet of upcoming fundraisers for candidates in competitive races We will be updating this list weekly.